DRAMA! Nenagh Ormond score two late tries to create history in promotion playoff final

Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A Promotion Play/Off Final

Nenagh Ormond RFC 36

University College Cork RFC 33

By James Hayden 

Nenagh Ormond mounted a sensational late comeback to snatch the most memorable of victories following a thrilling roller-coaster of a Division 1A promotion final clash at a packed New Ormond Park on Saturday afternoon last.

Comebacks of such calibre are a rare occurrence in the world of sport. Still, somehow Nenagh found the necessary wherewithal to fashion the most memorable of resurrections, one that even Lazarus himself would have to stand back and applaud, to secure promotion to the top tier of rugby in the country.

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With just two minutes of normal time remaining a buoyant UCC side appeared to have copper-fastened victory after Sean Condon dotted down in the corner following a stunning line break and Dan Squires added the extras to fire UCC eleven points clear, 33-22.

Cue the early departures, many of whom were confident in the knowledge UCC had secured a hard-fought promotion to the top tier of rugby in the country.

The faithful remained though and witnessed a sporting comeback to rank right up there with the best the AIL has ever witnessed, a comeback that will live long in the memory of all who were present in New Ormond Park and one which will be spoken of for decades to come.

Nenagh Ormond’s meteoric rise to the highest rung of rugby in the land has been nothing short of breathtaking. Just five short years ago Nenagh were embroiled in a relegation scrap when Covid cancelled the 2020 season finale, and when rugby returned the men in red and white survived a relegation play-off and staved off a drop down to the fourth tier of rugby in the country.

In the intervening three years Nenagh Ormond have soared up through the ranks and despite losing a promotion semi-final in 2023 they captured the Division 2A title last year before last Saturday's events saw the, amazingly securing promotion to the top tier of rugby in the country in front of a jubilant crowd at New Ormond Park.

Munster derbies are always high-stakes affairs but this latest clash between Nenagh Ormond and UCC was on another level.

UCC lost twice to Nenagh during the regular season, including a dramatic 38-34 loss in January at New Ormond Park after Nenagh snatched the result with a last-minute Mikey Doran try.

Tomas O’Leary’s UCC side came into the clash on the back of a four-match winning streak, and the former Munster and Ireland scrum half selected a potent side stacked with Munster academy players and also built around some exciting youngsters who have represented their province and country to date.

However, Michael Foy’s absence in the back row was a big loss for UCC with Jason Ahearne called upon to step up. Munster’s Ben O’Connor started at full-back, while current Ireland Under-20 international Gene O’Leary Kareen and Daniel Squires, their top points scorer, partnered each other in the centre.

Undoubtedly, Nenagh Ormond struggled to make everything stick in the opening half, and a number of questionable officiating decisions served to frustrate the home side and supporters. Played in at times breezy conditions, the home side were forced to soak up early UCC pressure.

UCC made the brighter start capitalising on their early dominance to force a penalty try and deservedly seize the initiative after just seven minutes of play.

Despite having John O’Flaherty sin-binned for the penalty try infringement Nenagh Ormond settled and forced their way into UCC’s twenty-two on more than once occasion before Matty Burke crashed over for Nenagh’s first score of the game on 25 minutes. Conor McMahon duly added the extras and the sides were all square, 7-7.

UCC edged back in front thanks to a well-struck Daniel Squires penalty to make it 10-7 but Nenagh responded in kind with Conor McMahon expertly dispatching a close-range penalty straight in front of the UCC posts after the visitors were pinged at the breakdown.

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With five minutes remaining to the break Nenagh were immediately forced onto the back foot from the restart. UCC built upon their momentum as Nenagh struggled to soak up the mounting pressure, and the visitors struck again, though right on the stroke of half-time, after their blindside flanker, Sean Edogbo barrelled his way over the line for UCC’s second try. Daniel Squires obliged with the extras once more to leave Nenagh trailing by 17-10 at the break.

From the restart Nenagh once more found themselves under the cosh with Dan Squires kicking two further penalties inside the opening seven minutes, the first after Nenagh’s scrum was penalised and the second when Nenagh were again pinged at the breakdown.

Nenagh’s backroom team elected to run their bench in a bid to inject some impetus into their game but were once more dealt a cruel blow when Conor McMahon was binned for a very debatable late hit in the 48th minute. Nenagh rode out the period of numerical disadvantage impressively though with Willie Coffey’s sublime pass putting Josh Rowland in on the hour mark.

Charlie O’Doherty added the conversion to ensure Nenagh were now back within striking distance and it was game on once more, 17-23.

UCC were in no mood to capitulate though and the 'Skull and Crossbones' retorted with a fourth Daniel Squires penalty on 63 minutes to restore a two-score buffer between the sides.

A deft piece of footwork from full-back Ben O’Connor after he controlled a Nenagh clearance with his boot before launching another UCC attack almost proved fatal for Nenagh but once more their defence held fast.

With ten minutes remaining UCC cut the look of a side who were starting to struggle before a fantastic John O’Flaherty try served to imbue the home side with a renewed vigour. On this occasion Conor McMahon’s attempted conversion failed to bisect the uprights but Nenagh were undoubtedly starting to gain a serious foothold in the game, 22-26.

With Nenagh’s dominance growing they were hit with what appeared to be a game defining sucker punch after the visitors pounced off a break from a looping Nenagh ‘Garryowen’.

Harry Murphy darted down the line before finding Sean Condon on his inside and the UCC winger dotted down in the corner. With less than two minutes remaining Daniel Squires added the extra and the game appeared ‘done and dusted’.

At this juncture many could be forgiven for thinking Nenagh were dead and buried but in a thoroughly astounding and remarkable series of events, they somehow managed to pull off the most astonishing and staggering of comebacks.

From the restart, Ormond surged back up the field, and a quickly taken penalty brought Nenagh right to the five-metre line. Nenagh’s maul expertly surged through the splintering UCC defence, and referee Andrew Cole had no hesitancy in running under the posts for a penalty try while UCC’s Jason Ahearne was sent to the sin bin.

UCC were unravelling like a cheap jumper at Christmas at this stage, and with just about time for one more play Nenagh Ormond fashioned what will forever be remembered as the ‘miracle moment’ at New Ormond Park. Nenagh gathered excellently from the restart and drew UCC in with a number of impressive phases before switching the ball wide to Davy Gleeson on the wing.

Gleeson, who had been cast back into the fray for the injured Conor McMahon, embarked on an explosive break down the right wing before sublimely off-loading to Josh Rowland on his shoulder for a try which sent a jubilant home crowd into joyous rapture.

Charlie O’Doherty calmly slotted the extras to ignite a pitch invasion of epic proportions as the Nenagh Ormond faithful rushed to fete their heroes following one of the most memorable, amazing and astonishing comebacks ever witnessed in New Ormond Park.

For Nenagh Ormond, the victory heralded a fairytale ending to an incredible season, a season that saw them claim the Munster Senior Cup for the first time ever and also clinch a place amongst rugby’s elite in AIL Division 1A for the 2025/26 season. Roll on the good times, as Nenagh Ormond RFC!

Scorers: Nenagh Ormond: Tries: Matthew Burke, Josh Rowland (2), John O’Flaherty, Penalty try; Cons: Conor McMahon, Charlie O’Doherty (2), Pen try con; Pen: Conor McMahon.

UCC: Tries: Penalty try, Sean Edogbo, Sean Condon; Cons: Pen try con, Daniel Squires (2); Pens: Daniel Squires (4).

Nenagh Ormond: Josh Rowland; Davey Gleeson, Angus Blackmore, Willie Coffey, Conor McMahon; Ben Pope, Nicky Irwin; Mikey Doran, Dylan Murphy, Matthew Burke, Jake O’Kelly, Kevin O’Flaherty (capt), Joe Coffey, John Healy, John O’Flaherty.

Replacements: Niall O’Gorman, Sean Frawley, John Brislane, Rob Buckley, Evan Murphy, Charlie O’Doherty, Derek Corcoran, Patrick Scully.

UCC: Ben O’Connor; Sean Condon, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Daniel Squires, Mark Hetherington; Darragh French, Andrew O’Mahony; Michael Cogan, Luke McAuliffe, Danny McCarthy, Sam O’Sullivan (capt), Conor Ryan, Sean Edogbo, Jason Aherne, Peter Hyland.

Replacements: Stephen O’Shaughnessy, Alex Hamilton, Rory Doody, Kamil Nowak, David Cogan, Evan Clarke, Harry Murphy, Jack Casey.